Hey everyone! Chapter eleven is here! This is the chapter of truth :P You'll see what I mean ;D Thanks for everyone who reviewed and now, let's get on with the story! Enjoy!


Chapter Eleven: Closer

"I can feel you, can you feel me?

I know you do because you're in me.

I'm getting closer, I'll go to you.

Just to hear you say: I love you too."

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Another week had passed and Kakashi was back home. He had very useful information about the plans of the Akatsuki and now they could make some kind of strategy to prevent them. They had a reunion at the Hokage's office where Kakashi explained to Tsunade, Naruto, Sakura and Sasuke of what had happened. The Uchiha became tense immediately while the blonde started to say things about 'going to rescue her already'.

"We know now where Itachi has her but still, there is a very small chance that we'll get her back. This is Itachi we're talking about." Kakashi said.

"But all four of us can go up against him! We can beat him and get her back!"

"Don't be stupid, Naruto. Not even me or Sasuke can go up against him and he can easily call for a backup. We have to think on a plan." Sasuke groaned.

"We take him out." The dark haired said.

"Alright, listen up. This will be your new mission. You will go to where Itachi Uchiha has Ari captive and you will do whatever it takes to get her back. Any questions?"

"No, Hokage-sama." Sasuke, Naruto and Kakashi said while Sakura shook her head.

"You will begin tomorrow at dawn. Dismiss!" All four shinobi disappeared to prepare themselves for their new mission. Tsunade remained quiet for sometime.

"You knew where he was, didn't you?" She said.

"Yes…" Jiraya appears in a poof of smoke next to the Hokage.

"But I know it won't work. They won't be able to bring her back."

"Why are you so sure?"

"Because, I know that Uchiha and I know the Akatsuki. Do you really think they weren't watching their new member? By now, they probably sent someone to tell Itachi to change location or to prepare himself." Tsunade sighed.

"Maybe you're right but…I had to let them fight for that chance to get her back. They deserve to try."

Ike and Kisame were getting closer to the small house and by now, Itachi should know they're nearby so they slowed their pace. It was better if Ari didn't see Ike or Kisame for that matter, so they would wait until the Uchiha came to them.

Some distance away, hidden by the trees, Ari threw punches at Itachi who easily blocked them. They were training as everyday and right now they were having a friendly spar. She was practicing her punches and the strength on them as Itachi blocked them. She was getting much better, making a lot of progress with every time they trained. Her chakra control was very amazing indeed and there was a reason to that.

Part of his mission was to discover the abilities she possessed and he had found out what, so part of his mission was done. Her ability was quite curious indeed. She could control chakra. Literally. She could add more strength to herself by controlling the chakra in her body, how it moved and to where it moved. Other than releasing all her chakra at once on one specific part of her body, for example, how Tsunade has her amazing strength, she could conserve her chakra. She didn't had to release it, just control how it works, how it moves in her body. So in other words, she doesn't waste chakra, she controls it, making her be very useful in a fight and as a medic.

She had mentioned she would like to learn to heal like Sakura did. He had shown her basics of medical jutsu and she had learned them with no problem at all. But he wasn't a medical ninja so it was not that much but he had went and bought some books for her. She had started to read them yesterday and today she was all excited to show him something that appeared on the book. The brunette had done it very well, he expected anything less. He knew who she was, of course. Who she really was…

Then, familiar chakra signatures got nearer to the perimeter and Itachi knew what that meant. He told Ari to stop and rest a little and practice with ninja tools while he went to check on something. She nodded and grabbed some kunai to throw them at the trees. The Uchiha gave one last look at her form before turning around and sprint through the trees to the nearby chakra signatures. When he got there, Ike and Kisame were waiting for him.

"Well, kid. It's been sometime, ehh?" Itachi nodded and greeted both Akatsuki's.

"Kisame, Ike-san." Ike nodded.

"What brings you hear?" The Uchiha asks.

"We came to inform you about a recent event, didn't we Ike?" Kisame said and Ike almost rolled his eyes at him."

"Kakashi came to the base some days ago and I told him about Ari's and my abilities. He also knows where you have her so he'll probably come soon with his team to get her. We wanted to come and notify you so you can do the necessary arrangements." Ike said. Itachi remained quiet for a moment and then nodded his head.

"I will make what is necessary to keep on with my mission. Has leader-sama requested anything else of me?"

"No, he said to simply keep with your original mission until furthered notice."

"Alright."

"How is she?" Ike asked. Itachi smirked at the green hair's worried question.

"She is alright, Ike-san. I have been giving her some training which she has successfully accomplished. I have also found what some of her abilities are but I prefer to inform later, when I know all of them."

"Good, then I guess we can leave now that you know that your little brother's team will come for the girl."

"Very well. I will continue with my assignment." He nodded to Ike and Kisame and both Akatsuki's nodded back before jumping up to the trees and disappearing.

Itachi stood there for a moment, thinking on what he should do. He had two options: Stay and fight or move to another place.

The first one was rather dangerous. He could fight against his brother, the copy nin and the nine tails, though it would not be so easy. The only problem would be that their medic would be free to go after Ari and of course, the brunette will not put up a fight, not because she's weak, but because she wants to leave with his little brother. The idea of moving to another place was appealing… Why is it so appealing? Of course he knew it was, the idea of staying with her made him smile… He really wanted to stay with her, to see her everyday and hear her beautiful voice that brings him so much delight. But he knew very well that will stop. She's just a mission and soon, whenever Madara decides to do something, she will be gone.

He stopped his thoughts right there. What will Madara do with Ari? He sure wasn't going to kill her because he wouldn't have made him capture her and keep her safe. Maybe he won't kill her now…maybe whatever he's going to use her for will cause her to die in the end…He couldn't allow that. He won't allow that. If that old heartless shell of an Uchiha was going to use Ari, he was sorely mistaken.


He rubbed he towel against his head to dry his ebony hair while walking to the closet. Sasuke looked for his boxers and tossed the towel to a side when he found them. He slipped them on and headed to the bed.

Tomorrow was finally the day.

Wait for me, Ari. I'm going to you soon, just hang on.

He had been training for the last weeks to get ready for this moment, the moment where he would get her back at last. It has been a torture to be without her all this time. He got used to live under the same house as her and to even feel her warmth near him for the time he had been in the other world. All this time, he has been recalling every single time, every single memory he had with her and used them as motivations for his training.

The first time he had seen her, the first impression, as many call it. She had locked eyes with his and there was something in those deep, purple-blue eyes that got his attention. They weren't looking at his own onyx ones with the same admiration the other fan girls did, it was somewhat analytical. After Naruto's little comment, he had ended up living with her and the Hyuuga heiress, making him think life couldn't get worst. It's not that he hated her or anything but, it was just that she made him feel somehow different, in a way that the Uchiha wasn't very happy with. It was just this thing in the pit of his stomach, a strange feeling in his chest every time he saw her or even heard her voice.

Later on, it had gotten worst. The feeling got back every time he felt her presence, therefore, it was all the time because she was with him all the time. It infuriated him, exasperated him to have that everlasting feeling. But then things had started to happen. Things like the kiss, the party, the argument, that rainy day, the beach…

He remembers how that kiss happened.

He was sitting outside the bathroom door waiting for his turn to bath. The brunette was taking a bath and she had been in for a while now. He let out a frustrated sigh, let his clothes on the floor and sat on the bed. The only bathroom in the house was next to her room, not really inside but very close to it so he could see when she got out.

Five minutes later, the door of the bathroom opened and revealed a young brunette woman wearing only a towel. He tried, oh he tried so hard not to look over her body, but it was simply too much. Once he saw her for a first time, she was obviously attractive, he wouldn't deny that, but it was something he could handle. Now, she was standing right in front of him when she had just got out of bathing, her hair wet on her shoulder, her bare shoulders and legs visible as the only thing she had on to cover herself was a simple, thin towel.

He swallowed hard but not enough for Ari to notice. She started walking outside the bathroom to her room, rubbing her wet hair with another towel she picked up. The brunette didn't even notice Sasuke was actually there staring at her walking inside the room because she momentarily forgot she even had guests in her house. Ari wasn't looking at where she was walking and she just kept on scrubbing her hair, massaging her head in the process. Until her feet found Sasuke's clothes on the floor and inevitably got tangled with them, causing her to start falling.

The Uchiha only had time to snap out of his thoughts when Ari was already falling on him, her hands looking for support on his shoulders causing him to fall back against the bed. She let out a small scream as they both fell against the mattress but the scream was silenced when her mouth met with Sasuke's.

Both of their eyes widened instantly as they held their breaths. Several seconds passed as purple-blue and dark eyes kept on starring at each other. For those seconds, neither of their minds made any coherent thoughts of the situation, they were just frozen. But suddenly, Ari was the one to first react when she became more conscious of the feeling Sasuke's lips on hers had, of the warmth they caused as they were pressed to hers.

She pushed herself away from the Uchiha as fast as she could and gasped outloud.

"How dare you? You kissed me!" She screamed at him.

"You were the one who went on me!" He screamed back.

"Because your stupid clothes were on the floor! It's your fault!"

"Then you should've been more careful and see where you walk! It's not my fault that your blind!"

"I'm not blind! This is my house and you can't just leave all your clothes around like you owned the place!" In that moment, Hinata had heard the screams of both and opened the door to check on them.

"Sasuke-kun, A-Ari-chan, c-calm down…" Her small voice was heard and made both people shut up and look at her then back at each other. Their eyes narrowed and both made grunting noises.

"Tch, just get the hell out of my room." And with that, she threw his clothes outside to the small aisle and closed the shut the door.

"Hn. Stupid." He picked up the clothes and headed to the bathroom.

Sasuke laid on his bed looking up at the ceiling. Who would've thought that girl would end up being the one he would fall in love with? Life is very strange indeed.

Remembering all the other memories he had with his smiling brunette lover, the Uchiha drifted to a long needed sleep.


Itachi woke up early as always and started to prepare some breakfast. His eyes were now onyx black and his eyesight was very blurry. His vision had gotten worst every time he used the Sharingan or the Mangekyou but it couldn't be helped those times. Right now, he tried to evade every fight were he would need the Mangekyou or fight without using it at all. It was not like he depended on the Sharingan to fight, because his abilities in both Ninjutsu and Taijutsu were exceptional, but one gets used to using their bloodline trait.

His eyesight with the Sharingan wasn't that much better than without it but it helped at least a little. He didn't wanted Ari noticing that he had to read things closer than normal people or that he had to narrow his eyes and force them to understand the outline of something or someone.

He wondered how she looked… if he had a perfect vision like before, how would the brunette girl look with details? If he could see that shine in her eyes and the shape of her lips as she smiled. If she looked so beautiful to him with his deteriorated vision, she would have to look like an angel with a perfect one.

Breakfast was ready and he left it in the oven to maintain it warm. The elder Uchiha headed outside to see how the day had started. November had started and it was starting to get cold. He used to sleep without a shirt and now he wore a long sleeved one. He breathed in fresh air prepared to start his morning training exercises, knowing that in an hour or a little more, Ari would wake up.

Taking out some shurikens, he closed his eyes and disappeared into the air, throwing all of them at the targets. He repeated the same thing over and over, like a graceful dance of daggers. To Itachi, it was so natural to throw the shuriken without even thinking on how to do it. His mind was thinking on what he was going to do about his brother's team and Ari. Letting her go was out of the question, he needed her to find out what Madara's plans are. However, no matter how much he didn't wanted to, he knew that it would end up in a fight of him against team seven.

That was something he doesn't like at all.

He didn't wanted to fight, the only fight he wants is the one against his little brother so Sasuke could finally be free from his revenge. But now, everything changed. He had to stay alive to see what was that Madara wanted and to protect her from whatever that was. He was determined to do so.

He had finished his training and now he was finishing washing himself up. He tied his hair in his usual low ponytail and headed towards the living room. Once he sat down, he heard the door to Ari's room open and he looked to see the sleepy woman walk up to the living room. He smirked and stood up again to pick up the plates and bring them to the table. When he came back, she was sitting down rubbing her eyes and yawning slightly. When she noticed him enter, the girl looked up with her lavender eyes and offered him a sleepy smile.

"Good morning, Ita-kun."

"Good morning, Ari."

He placed the breakfast in front of her on the table and smirked as he watched her smell it. His onyx eyes observed her form and they softened. Sometimes she was such a little girl.

She finished eating and Itachi retrieved the plates back to the kitchen. He went back to the living room and told Ari to go outside and get ready for their training. She got all excited to be able to show him her new medical jutsu she read about in the book. Ari started explaining to him the jutsu and he listened. It was quite complex but she seem to understand it very well. After that, he told her to practice her ninjutsu and after that, he would show her basic genjutsu. She seemed quite capable of understanding how they worked.

While watching her practice, he made a decision on what to do about the situation with team seven. He would move her to another place but he was staying. There was another small house some miles away closer to the border of the Fire Nation, one of the many he and Kisame used when they were away from the base. After finishing the training and making something to eat, he would prepare his things and tell her to prepare hers so they could move afterwards.

"So how am I now?" She asked panting after finishing their little spar.

"You are making very good progress. Wash yourself while I prepare some food."

"Right!." She jumped off back to the house, still having a little more energy in her, while Itachi raised a brow at her hyper activeness. The Uchiha prepared some dango for both of them and waited for her while preparing his things, not like he had much to pack. He grabbed some supplies and picked some robes and thick jackets he had bought for the winter time. Then he went to the living room and placed all of her papers, books and drawings in a bag, trying his best not to damage them.

He heard the shower go off indicating that she was done so he got out a scroll and performed the jutsu to seal all his things in it. She came just when the puff of smoke was disappearing.

"What was that?" Ari asked.

"A jutsu to seal some things."

"What things?" She tilted her head to side.

"You shall see later. Now, I prepared some dango."

"Ohhh! I like dango!" Then she looked at the table and saw that her papers and the books were gone.

"Where are the books?"

"I packed them."

"Packed? We're moving?" The brunette asked while taking a ball of dango in her mouth.

"Yes, there has been a change of plans and we have to move to another location." Itachi said. Ari remained quiet, thinking it over.

"They're coming…Sasuke's coming for me…!" She whispered more loudly the last part.

"Hn…" Her lavender eyes narrowed at him.

"We're not leaving. I'm staying here until Sasuke comes for me!" She screamed the last part and stood up abruptly from the table.

"I'm afraid that is not happening, Ari. My mission is to not let them take you and that's how it will be."

"No! You can't do this! He's your brother, why do you do this to him? You have any idea how much he has suffered because of you!" She screamed again and Itachi remained quiet, deciding to let her talk all she wanted.

"I take it back! What I said about having a brother like you! I'd prefer to be alone all my life than have some monster of a brother like you! I hate you!" And with that, she threw the plate to the floor and headed to her room, the door closing with a very loud bang.

The Uchiha's eyes were wide. He was frozen in the spot with everything she had said. He was a monster, he was no longer the brother she wanted or the best friend, he was the person she now hated. It wasn't the first time he had been called monster, criminal, murderer, or much other bad things. He never denied those things or really cared because they were all true. He was a monster, a criminal and a murderer. But it never actually hurt. Even Sasuke, his dear little brother, had called him such things and told him of his great hate but it didn't hurt as much as it did now.

He knew why it hurt, because the one that had called him a monster and had said to hate him wasn't just anyone or his brother, it was her. It was Ari. It hurt to know that she thought all that about him and it hurt to know that she hated him because that's what he least wanted her to feel for him…

But he couldn't blame her of course, he would hate himself too if he were in her place. In fact, he already hates himself. He could hear her in her room, sobbing. She was crying again and only he was to blame. He's making the only person above everyone else that he wants to see happy, cry.

He placed his head between his hands, wanting to punch himself. He had to do something to at least make her stop crying.

He had finished packing all he needed and all the supplies were ready, now only her stuff was left. She was still sobbing lightly and he decided to go to her room. When he turned the doorknob, it was unlocked and he opened it slowly so to not make too much noise. He entered and closed the door behind him with the same steadiness and then turned back to look at the sight before him.

The bed was a mess, there was a chair turned over and some of the clothes on the small closet were tossed on the floor. On the right side of the bed, down on the wooden floor, was Ari with her legs up to her chest and her arms around them. Her face was buried between her knees and her brunette hair served as a curtain to hide her face from view. Her back was shaking slightly due to the sobbing but he knew that she noticed he was there.

He got closer slowly and seated on the edge of the bed next to her who was on the floor. She stopped sobbing moved her head slightly, probably to see him from between the curtain of brunette hair. He looked down at her form and closed his eyes. It really made him angry to see her like that.

"Ari…" He called her name to see if there was any reaction but he was just given silence. After waiting and seeing she wouldn't do anything, he sighed and slowly slid himself down to the floor beside her.

She sobbed lightly again and moved a little more away from him. Itachi's head lowered, feeling a little ashamed of himself.

"You're right, I am a monster… a criminal capable of killing his own family and betray his village."

She sobbed again but this time, she moved her head up and looked at the Uchiha's eyes. His heart ached when he met her now dark lavender pools shinning with wet tears, the sadness and hurt so visible in them. They stayed like that for several seconds, just looking at each other in the eyes until her gaze moved down to the floor.

"I don't understand…" Her voice shaking slightly said.

"What is it?" He asked.

"How can you…be so cold and…so warm at the same time." She said, her eyes still glued to the floor.

"Hn…" He didn't understood what she meant. She noticed and looked back at him.

"You're a murderer and a criminal…but you don't act like one." So that's what she means. Now he's the one that looks down to the floor and waits for her to say something else. Her lips curve into a small, sad smile and she looks back at the floor again.

"I don't understand. It's almost like you don't want this…like you're not a criminal but you have no other choice. It's almost like you're acting like other people expect you to act, even when in reality, you're not." Her voice was a small whisper in the room and he looked back at her dropped head and closed his eyes before looking up to the wall in front of him.

"Sometimes you have to play a role for others to believe in you." Ari looked back at Itachi and narrowed her eyes.

"What do you mean?" She asked quietly. He smirked and looked at her.

"If you want others to believe, you must show what you are saying."

"Even if what you want to say is a lie?" She asked. He didn't say what he wanted others to believe was a lie or a truth but she knew it was a lie. He smirked again. She was much too smart for her own good.

"Hn."

"So in other words, you don't want to be a criminal. You just follow orders." It wasn't a question, it was a statement. Itachi sighed and looked back at her.

"Believe what you wish." Now she got closer to him.

"Why, Itachi? Why do you do this? That's all I want to know. Who are you really?" The Uchiha's eyes closed and then he looked back at the floor.

"I am Uchiha Itachi, clan prodigy, ANBU Captain, loyal Konoha shinobi and an older brother. Murderer of his family and traitor of his village."

"Itachi, please. No more riddles or paradoxes." She pleaded slowly. He looked back at her and his mind raced on what to do. Should he tell her everything? It was his mission, his duty, his burden. Only he was able to carry on with all that and he didn't wanted anyone else to share it with him. But another side of him wanted to say it, to let it out. To tell her everything or at least a part of it. It wasn't like it would change anything, anyway."

"Your assumptions are correct, Ari. I just follow orders no matter how they are. I am loyal and that is my weakness."

"But if you are loyal, then why betray your village, your family?" He let a small smile appear on his lips but the brunette noticed it was a sad one.

"Maybe it was the reverse. Maybe I was the only loyal one…" Her eyes widened when she got the meaning of what he just said. He was the only loyal one? But loyal to who? To the clan or to the village?

"…loyal Konoha shinobi…"

"Loyal to the village…" She whispered. He nodded slowly, letting her put all the pieces together.

Her hands went to her mouth as she gasped when realization hit her. Everything he had said was added up in her mind and fell exactly into place, like the pieces of a puzzle.

"Your assumptions are correct, Ari. I just follow orders no matter how they are. I am loyal and that is my weakness."

"I don't understand. It's almost like you don't want this…like you're not a criminal but you have no other choice. It's almost like you're acting like other people expect you to act, even when in reality, you're not."

"You're a murderer and a criminal…but you don´t act like one."

"Sometimes you have to play a role for others to believe in you."

"…and an older brother."

Her eyes widened as her throat voiced out her thoughts.

"You're family were the traitors…the village saw and…you were loyal to the village, above the clan… They gave you orders to…" She looked back at Itachi, afraid of saying the next words.

"Annihilate the Uchiha Clan." He said coldly.

"Oh God…But…Sasuke-"

"I was to kill him as well." Itachi looked back at floor, his eyes clouded by sadness and anger.

"You couldn't do it." She said, He didn't answered but it wasn't necessary, his eyes told her everything. Several minutes passed and they remained silent, each immersed in their own thoughts.

"Then why are you doing all this? Why make him believe that it was just for power? Why not tell him the truth?...Why do you torture him?" Her voice was starting to break again, the tightening in her chest growing. She didn't wanted to cry again.

"Because it must be done. Sasuke must become stronger to face what awaits him."

"And you filled him up with hate to make him stronger? You made revenge his ultimate goal so he could get strong enough to kill you, to-" She stopped mid sentence, realizing something else.

"To kill you…you want him to be the one who ends it. Who kills you for what you've done even if you were just following orders."

"I can assure you, it is more deeper than that. I cannot let him kill me now because there are still some things that need to be resolved."

"Things like what? Keep torturing him by taking away his girl so he can fill himself with more hate for you so he can become stronger? You could've helped him become stronger by staying with him! By telling him the truth and be there for him when he needed you the most! That's what an older brother is for! You are supposed to protect him, not traumatize him!" She was now screaming and her voice broke down from all the anger that exploded in her.

Ari sobbed hard, trying to control herself to no avail. She just wanted to go back home, to get out of this place so dangerous and scary, where all of this things happened. Horrible things that hurt people, that hurt the one she loves the most. How can this world be so twisted? And what about Itachi, the man sitting next to her? She couldn't even begin to imagine how he could have felt, to have to decide between his family and his village. To save the lives of a few of his own kind or to save the lives of hundreds or thousands by stopping those beloved few. And even then, he couldn't kill his little brother and had to live the life of a traitor when in reality, he was possibly the most loyal of all ninja.

Now she cried, but she didn't cried for herself or for Sasuke, she cried for him. She cried for Itachi, for all the times he probably didn't cried or showed any emotion at all, being the perfect ninja his village wanted him to be. She forced herself to look at him, right in the eyes that were now scarlet by the reflection of the sunset's orange rays.

He was looking at her, his gaze soft but full of sadness and hurt and she couldn't help it. Her body moved and her arms locked around his neck, burying her face in his chest. She cried hard on him, much like that night a week ago and Itachi froze. The warmth of her body all over him, the softness of her long, brunette hair gracing his chin and the smell of her scent reaching his nose. He closed his eyes and almost forced his arms to move up to her back and lightly place them around her trembling form. Like last time, he just held her and let her cry on him but it was so hard to stay still, to not roam his hands over the rest of her body or to lean in to her neck and smell the delicious soft scent of orchids and lavender.

I can hold on. She is Sasuke's and all I can have from her is this…just to hold her as a friend or a brother would do. One small mistake, and I won't even have that.

Ten minutes passed and she had finally stopped crying. Ari stood up slowly and headed to the closet. Itachi stood up as well but didn't move from his spot and watched her.

"So, I guess I have to pack some things…?" She asked. The Uchiha nodded.

"Alright then…" She started to pack things while he just watched.


Four shinobis made their way through the forests of the Fire Nation. It has been several hours since they departed from Konoha to where Itachi was hiding Ari. According to Ike, it was near the border of the Rock Country so it would take several days for them to get there.

They were moving at max speed, not having rested since they departed. There were still some more hours until night and that was when they had agreed to rest. Kakashi was the one in the front followed by Sasuke then Naruto and Sakura. Neither of them had said a word, too concentrated on the task of maintaining maximum speed.

The sun was setting and the sky was turning that beautiful shade of orange which made Sasuke's crimson sharingan eyes shine with an ethereal scarlet glow.


It's done! Hope you all liked it and pass by my profile to see new links on the drawings I've made of Distnace :P and also so you read on my future stories that I got planned. Remember to leave a review! See ya!